


Trying to Get Better

by hufflepug



Category: Captain America - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Car Accidents, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-02-12
Updated: 2017-03-05
Packaged: 2018-09-23 16:05:12
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9664661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hufflepug/pseuds/hufflepug
Summary: Let it be said that Steve Rogers is no stranger to hospitals. He was always there as a child for his many ailments. Also his mother was a nurse so he was used to being in a hospital. But being used to them does not mean that he likes them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is unbeta'd all mistakes are mine. First fic hope you like it!

Let it be said that Steve Rogers is no stranger to hospitals. He was always there as a child for his many ailments. Also his mother was a nurse so he was used to being in a hospital. But being used to them does not mean that he likes them. The hospital was in a chaotic mess tonight. The ambulance had just come in, nursses were going from place to place, none of them even looking at Steve. 

He got the attention of one of the nurses that were walking by, “Excuse me but I need to know what's going on,” Steve told her, “I'm looking for my boyfriend Bucky, sorry uh James Buchanan Barnes is his full name. If... that... uh helps.”

“He probably just got admitted into the E.R.,” she saw that Steve paled when she said that, “I'm sure he'll be alright. You can help by filling out this paperwork.” The nurse walked over to one of the desks and handed Steve a clipboard with some paperwork attached to it. 

“Thanks,” Steve murmured. He sank into one of the waiting room chairs so that he would no longer be in the way and so that he could fill out the papers easier. Steve couldn't help but be worried over his childhood best friend and now boyfriend, they had gone through everything together. His hand was shaking as he answered all the questions. 

A half-hour later one of the doctors came and walked to the nurses' desk, the one that had helped Steve was talking to the doctor and pointed to where Steve sat. Steve noticed and sat a little straighter thinking that now he would get to know what had happened to Bucky. The doctor motioned to Steve to come over to him. 

“Do you know the guy that was in the car accident?” the doctor asked him. 

“Yes I do,” Steve responded, “Is he alright?” 

The doctor took a deep breath, “He was badly injured. I can go over everything later but right now I need to know if you contacted his family yet,” he said honestly, “I have to talk to his family about what has happened first.”

Steve blinked like he was in a daze, “Oh yeah. I already contacted them.” he had of course, right after he got the call from Natasha saying that something had happened. Bucky's family lived farther out of the city and it took them awhile to get anywhere. Natasha had to stay and talk to the police about what had happened. Just then Mr. and Mrs. Barnes came bustling into the waiting room. Mrs. Barnes looked around feverishly until her eyes landed on Steve. 

“Do you know what happened to him?” she asked. 

The doctor then stepped forward, “Mrs. Barnes?” she nodded, “Your son is-” 

“Is he alive?” Bucky's father interrupted. 

“Yes. He is,” he replied, “Would you mind following me this way? I need to talk to you about his injuries.” He started to herd Bucky's parents down the hall with Steve falling into step behind them. The doctor led them down a hallway and into a room. The doctor motioned them to sit down. Bucky's parents sat together and gave each other anxious looks and held each others hand. Steve sat beside Bucky's father. 

The doctor sat down across from all of them, he started to speak. “James' injuries are quite serious,” he began, “He has suffered from severe head trauma. Right now he is in a coma so we won't know the extent of how badly he has been injured until he has woken up, but it is likely he will have amnesia.” The doctor took a slight pause, “The other part of his injuries have to do with his arm. His arm suffered severe burns from the wreck,” he hesitated, “James' arm had to be amputated.” The doctor looked at each of them in turn. The room was silent. 

Mrs. Barnes was the one to finally say something, “There wasn't anything else that could have been done?” It was evident in her voice that she was close to tears. Her husband held her hand tighter.  
“I'm afraid not Mrs. Barnes. The damage in his arm was too great,” he pulled out a folder that he had brought with him, “but there are some options for him if he wants to get a prosthetic. There are some companies that specialize in this area. Of course you don't have to decide on anything now.” 

There was another pause in the room, but this time it was Steve who broke it.  
“Do we get to see him?” His voice was strained and full of concern for Bucky.  
“Family gets to see him right now, but he is still in his coma. When he wakes up then others can get to see him or sooner. Its just up to the family,” the doctor stood up, “so if you'll follow me I'll show you where he is.” Bucky's parents got up and followed the doctor, Steve stayed sitting in his chair, staring at nothing in particular. 

 

Steve stayed the night at the hospital. He couldn't even think of leaving Bucky alone, he had his family of course, but Steve felt that he had to be there. He tried not to fall asleep but enevitably he did. So the next morning when Natasha was there waking him up he thought that everything that happened the night before was just a nightmare.  
“Steve. Wake up,” Natasha said as she shook him to be more awake. He blinked up at his friend trying to get out all the sleep from his eyes. “How's Barnes?” Nat asked as she sat down next to him. Steve swallowed, “The doctor is only letting family see him right now, but from what Buck's mom has said he's doing fine.” His voice was thick and sounded as if he was doing all he could to make sure that his voice wouldn't shake. Natasha held his hand “How are you?” Natasha had known Bucky longer than she had known Steve but she knew how much Steve loved Bucky. Steve looked at her, “I'm so worried about him,” this time his voice shook, “I hardly know anything about what has happened to him.” Natasha held him from where they were sitting in the chairs and Steve finally let all the tears he was holding come falling down.

It was mid-morning at the hospital, Steve and Nat were still there. Natasha was telling Steve what had happened at the party. Bucky had been drinking that night at Wade's party, she told him that he shouldn't be driving. Told him to take the subway. It was snowing pretty hard by that time and she was worried that he might not be able to drive properly. But he insisted and he left. Bucky was driving down the street to his apartment when he swerved on a patch of ice he tried to correct it but he turned the steering wheel too much and he spun out to the other side of the street. That's when he hit another car... 

Natasha trailed off when she saw the doctor coming there way. “You can come see him now,” the doctor said, “He is still under but you can come in and visit with him.” Natasha looked at Steve, “You can go in. I know how much he means to you.” Steve gave her a weak smile, “Thanks Nat.”  
Steve followed the doctor to Bucky's room. “He is right through that door. If anything happens the nurses are right there,” he pointed towards the nurses station. Steve said that he would and walked into Bucky's room.  
He didn't know what to expect when he got into the room, all he knew was what Bucky's parents had told him. But when he walked in nothing could prepare him for what he saw. Bucky was on the hospital bed, unconscious, and his left shoulder was bandaged. It was evident on his face that there was cuts that the doctors had to take care of. 

“Oh Bucky,” Steve murmured. He sat down on Bucky's right so that he could hold his hand.  
Steve moved the hairs back on Bucky's forehead. “I'm sorry,” Steve whispered to him, “I'm sorry.”


	2. Chapter 2

Steve was by Bucky's bedside, he hardly even left. The doctors said that he might wake up, so Steve wanted to be there when he did. Bucky was looking peaceful, the total opposite of Steve. He hasn't gotten enough sleep and the sleep that he does get is not very refreshing. Bucky's face twitched in his sleep. He tossed his head to one side and groaned.  
“Oh my God,” Steve whispered, “Bucky?” Bucky's eyes slowly opened and landed on Steve, “Steve?” he asked with a small smile and blinking up lazily at him. It seemed that his eyelids got to heavy for him and he just let them close. Steve was still looking at him with shock at what had just happened.  
The doctor came in, “How is he?” Steve was still gaping at Bucky. The doctor snapped his fingers in front of Steve's face, “Alright there?”  
“He...he,” Steve said barely audible, “he woke up. But he knew who I was. Is that a good sign?” Steve was looking at the doctor with hopeful puppy dog eyes.  
The doctor sighed, “Since he went back under.... I can't tell. It's a good sign that he remembered you but...” Steve nodded his head, “I understand.” 

 

Steve was getting something to eat at the hospital's cafeteria with Natasha. Buck's parents were with Buck and his sister Becca. Bucky hasn't woken up again since that morning. Steve told everyone what had happened, it was just a little thing but Steve wanted everyone to know about it. 

They went to find a place to eat their lunch. Steve had gotten a sandwich and some coffee. Nat had gotten a salad and a bottled water. Both of their lunches didn't looking very appetizing but they were desperate. They ate their lunches in silence, they didn't want to make any small talk. 

They had been at the hospital over the last span of days so it had become their base. Natasha had to make a few calls to her work, she works at for an investigation agency in the city, about why she was going to be gone or in late. Steve is an artist so he doesn't have to call anyone about missing work which was a good thing but the hospital bills were going to hurt him and Bucky, but he didn't want to think about that.  
“I think the rest of our group will be coming to see Bucky,” Natasha said, “probably later though.” Steve nodded, “That would be good.”  
“You should go get a change of clothes and take a shower.” Steve looked at her with a raised eyebrow. Natasha gave him a small smirk, “You need to get out of this place. It's not going to do you any good.”  
“Nat,” Steve sighed. “No, Steve, Bucky is going to be fine. I'll be here and he has his family. He's going to be fine.” Steve knew that she was right, he needed to get out of the hospital, get some new clothes. Steve sighed and nodded he knew that this was a battle that he wasn't going to win. They finished their lunch and Steve headed out of the hospital towards his apartment. 

When he got to his apartment he went to his bedroom and got some clothes together that he was going to wear. He did it all methodicaly and without much thought for if he did he would start thinking about what was going on with Bucky. He got his clothes and headed into the shower. Even when he was in the shower everyting was methodical, he didn't know what he was doing only knowing that he had to do it. Steve got out of the shower he checked his phone to see if anyone had texted him about Bucky, he ran his hand over his face when he saw the “No New Messages Appeared” on his screen. He got dressed and started getting some things from his apartment that he had been needing, his sketchbook, his ipod that had some of Buck's favorite music on it, and a book that he had been reading. Steve did a last run through of everything in his apartment before heading back out again. 

 

When Steve got back to the hospital Natasha told him that Clint came by. He had dropped off some flowers for Bucky. Clint was friends with both Steve and Bucky, he had gone to college with them so he knew what they both meant to each other. Steve had seen the flowers that Clint had gotten Bucky, they were multicolored and seemed like the biggest bouquet that they had in stock. Of course Steve knew that that was Clint's way of showing that he cared. Natasha said that Clint had to leave early because he wasn't sure if his dog, Lucky, could be left alone for so long. Steve laughed when he heard that. Clint was always taking in dogs, he was like a foster father to every stray dog in the city. He could never leave the dogs alone for more than a two days at the most and if he had just recently gotten one... he was with them. 

Natasha said that only Clint had showed up when he was gone but again, she said, their other friends would show up. Tony came barging into the hall that Nat and Steve were sitting in. “Where is he?,” Tony shouted. Doctors and nurses were trying to stop him and calm him down but Tony just kept walking down the hall asking where he was. Steve and Natasha stood up and hurriedly went to him. “What is wrong with you?” Natasha asked him with a hand on Tony's arm. “He killed my mom!” Tony screamed with a finger pointing to Bucky's door. The hall got deafeningly quiet. Tony was shaking his hands were now by his sides in tight fists. Steve led Tony to the chairs that he and Nat were just sitting at, everyone else seemed to start moving as well. With Tony sitting Steve could see that his eyes were red and filled seemed to be wet.  
“What happened?” Steve asked him sternly.  
Tony turned his head to him and sneered, “Your boyfriend killed my parents.” Tony shook his head, “Drunk and decided to drive.... Ran straight into them...” The venom that started in Tony was slipping and his words started to slur together.  
“Tony you need to go home,” Natasha told him, “You shouldn't be here.”  
Tony looked at her lazily, “I'm here cause he needs to pay for what he has done,” he said it like she was dense.  
Natasha sighed exasperated with him, “I'm taking you home now.” She got up and dragged Tony to his feet.  
“Fine, but I'll come back cause he needs to pay!”  
“Hush Tony!” Steve barked at him, “Go with Natasha.” Tony looked slightly hurt, or like he was about to throw up, either way Nat got him to walk down the hall away from Steve and, a now awake, Bucky.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this one took awhie to be posted, meant to post it last week. Sorry again. Unbeta'd all mistakes are mine.

Steve stared down the hall that Tony and Natasha dissapeared down, when he heard noises from Bucky's room. Slightly concerned, because he was still trying to wrap his head around what had happened with Tony, Steve made his way into Bucky's room.  
“What's...” but that was as far as Steve got for Bucky was awake and muttering “Mom, where's my arm? I can't feel it.”  
Bucky's mother took a shaky deep breath, “It had to be taken off baby.” She sat down on his right side and took his hand. “I know its scary but you're going to be alright.” Bucky still looked disheveled and lathargic, his eyes scanned the room, he seemed to know who was all there until his eyes landed on Steve.  
Bucky leaned over to his mom and whispered, “Who's the big guy?” while still eyeing Steve suspciously. Bucky's mom's eyebrows furrowed slightly, “That's Steve honey.” Bucky still looked suspicious and shook his head, “That can't be Steve. Steve's a tiny little thing.”  
“Buck its me,” Steve insisted. Bucky looked at him with confusion and shook his head again. The doctor said to Steve, “I think it would be best if you went out for a moment.”  
Steve wanted to stay but Bucky kept asking who he was and where was the real Steve that he listened to the doctor and stepped out into the hall. He was shattered. He knew it was possible that Buck wouldn't remember him but it still hurt that he didn't. Steve was pacing down the hall as he tried to call Natasha. He wanted to tell her, he had to tell her, how Bucky was doing. When she didn't pick up for the third time he just texted her instead, he gave her a broad idea of how Bucky was, he turned to go back to Bucky's room. Outside of the room was Buck's family.  
“What happened?” Steve said. Bucky's sister Becca was the one to answer, “The doctor wanted to ask Bucky some questions. See how well his memory is... and... uh talk to him about a prothsetic.” Becca swallowed, Steve wrapped his arms around her and she hugged him back. 

 

Everyone in the hall was fidgeting and on edge. They hardly knew the extant of his memory problems they only knew that Bucky thought that Steve was tiny and sickly, and Steve was obviosly not that anymore. Steve stopped being small when he hit puberty, then everything else just followed suit. He still has eye problems and his hearing is not the best, but he isn't as sick as he was before. Steve just wanted to know what was going to happen and what would make Bucky better and remember him. 

The doctor walked out of the room and headed to the family. He took a deep breath and he started to tell them before they could ask any questions.  
“He does have a good portion of his memory back but it seems that he doesn't remember much from highschool forward. Other than that he knows himself and his family, time should let everything else come back to him. It would be best if you got a pyschaatrist to come and talk to him.” he took a sharp inhale and continued, “Now with his prothsetic he has decided that he wants it from SHIELD, it's an independent organization, but I'm sure you've read about it. One of the representatives will come later today to come and talk to you and Bucky. He will explain everything and you will decide what kind of prosthetic that Bucky wants. The procedure will happen sometime next week. Bucky can go home after he talks with them.” The doctor finished his assesment. They nodded and the doctor walked down the hall to check on his other patients. 

Steve told Bucky's family that they should go and talk to him and he would go and tell their friends that Bucky would be out of the hospital later in the day. Everyone was happy by the news. They asked Steve if he wanted to have a party for when Bucky returned, but Steve had just laughed and told them no. He didn't want to overwhelm Bucky, he had just woken up and still trying to figure out what's going on, he didn't need all these people around him and all the noise that would ensue it would be too much for him at the moment. 

Steve did get in touch with Natasha, she had left Tony with his aunt Peggy (who was not at all impressed with how her nephew was behaving, she knew he was hurting but he shouldn't let himself get to that point) but Natasha had told Steve that the police needed to give Bucky an interview on what had happened that night. Steve didn't think that his anxieties could go up any higher but alas he was wrong. He ran his hand through his hair and told Nat that she should tell the officers the progress Bucky was making and about his procedure that was going to happen in the next week. She said that she would and asked Steve if he was doing alright. He had said that he was and made sure he deflected anymore questions about himself and had ended the call.  
Becca came out to the hall and stood with Steve. “They said the represenattaive from SHIELD is coming by in a bit. They didn't want me to be in there when they're talking about it.”  
Steve nodded his head, “Well then why don't you and I go get lunch? It will take are minds off of it and I'm tired of hospital food.”  
She gave him a small smile, “Same here. There's a place where we can get something down the street that I know of.”  
“Sounds like a plan.” 

They turned to start heading down the hallway when they saw an older gentlleman in a suit walking their way.  
“Excuse me I'm here for James Barnes, do you know where he is?” the man asked the two of them. “He is in that room,” Steve pointed across the hall, “If you don't mind me asking, are you the representative from SHIELD?”  
“Oh yes. I'm sorry for not introducing myself, I'm Alexander Pierce.” he took out his hand so that Steve could shake it. “Steve Rogers, nice to meet you,” Steve said as he shook his hand.  
“Now if you'll excuse me,” Pierce said as he left to go into Bucky's room.  
“He was... polite,” Becca said as the door closed behind Pierce.  
“He was wasn't he? We should probably go,” Steve replied and guided Becca down the hall to get out of the hospital. 

Steve tried to shake off some unease that he had when he had met Pierce, he didn't know what it was. It seemed to him that the representative was off in a way, he barely got to talk to him -it was just an introduction- so Steve just put his unease to that he was just hungry. 

The lunch that they had was quick but it was better than the ones at the hospital. They hadn't talked much they had been hungry so they had just ordered their food quickly and had eaten quickly. After their lunch they made their way back to the hospital. They had gotten back when Alexander had finished his dissucsion with them. Bucky's mom told them what was going to happen and that Bucky was going to be living with them until the procedure.  
“That's fine Mrs. Barnes,” Steve had told her, “Did Mr.Pierce answer all the questions that you had?”  
“Oh yes. He was very charming and polite. He said that we can contact him if we had anymore questions. He was a real nice man.” Steve nodded and realized that maybe the unease that he had was because he was hungry.  
“Also he said that SHIELD does give pychiatric help, so Bucky can go there as well,” added Bucky's father, “We're going to be taking him home now so..” he trailed off. Steve took the hint, “Yes okay. If you need any help with what's going to-” “We'll contact you Steve if anything goes wrong,” Bucky's mom told him gently. Steve nodded and headed out of the hospital with his shoulders sagging.


End file.
